Instead, they would use a 2006 law signed by former President George W. Bush that authorised the construction of 700 miles-plus of “physical barrier” on the southern border.

To secure the money to build it, transition officials have told House Republican leaders they would want to add billions of dollars into the spending bill that needs to pass by April 28 to keep the government open, a senior House GOP source told CNN.

The move would set up a fight with Senate Democrats and potentially a government shutdown.

"It was not done in the Obama administration, so by funding the authorisation that's already happened a decade ago, we could start the process of meeting Mr Trump's campaign pledge to secure the border," Indiana Republican Congressman Luke Messer said.

"Democrats may well find themselves in the position to shut down all of government to stop the buildout of a wall, or of a barrier, or of a fence," Mr Messer said.

Furthermore, it would be hard for Democrats to block the measure since a long list of Senate Democrats voted for the border measure a decade ago, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Estimates of the wall's cost range from a few billion dollars to as much as $14 billion, yet that excludes other expenses, such as maintenance, border patrol agents and purchasing private property from Texas landowners.